


Miles to Go Before I Sleep

by Anthemyst



Series: Dangerous Beings [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Sequel, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-03-16 20:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13644069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anthemyst/pseuds/Anthemyst
Summary: Nino Lahiffe has been dating Paris' hottest superhero for years. With all the adventures and responsibilities that came with his boyfriend's role as a Miraculous holder, Nino was perfectly happy to be the ordinary guy that Adrien came home to at the end of every day.Fate, however, has other plans.Sequel toBy Storm or by Surprise.





	1. Chapter 1

Nino had been waking up next to his boyfriend for over a year now, but he still wasn’t over it. Former professional model Adrien Agreste, the most photogenic guy Nino had ever met in his life, the flirtiest superhero Paris had ever seen, looked ridiculous when he slept. His hair went everywhere, he had a tendency to smush his face into the nearest pillow, his mouth tended to hang open, he _snored_. Nino adored every bit of it.

Smiling, Nino leaned over and kissed Adrien’s forehead. Adrien groaned in protest. “Too early,” he mumbled. “Saturday. Sleep.”

“Can’t,” Nino said apologetically. “I gotta head down to the station.”

Adrien yawned. “You don’t work on any of the weekend shows.”

“Marie wants me to fill in this morning, I told you yesterday.” Nino kissed Adrien again, and this time Adrien was awake enough to kiss him back. “If I ever want to get promoted, I gotta grab opportunities like this.”

“Okay, okay.” Adrien brushed the hair out of his eyes and looked up at Nino. “You’ll be out by noon though, right?”

“Absolutely,” Nino said.

“Because Marinette will kill you if you miss lunch, she’s been planning it for over a month.”

“I’m getting out eleven at the latest, picking Alya up, and we will be there promptly at noon,” Nino promised.

“Okay.” Adrien yawned again. “I’m going back to sleep, I’ll see you there.”

Smiling, Nino kissed Adrien one more time before getting out of bed. “See you there.”

 

* * *

 

Alya was late, and she wasn’t answering Nino’s texts. By this point in his life, Nino had grown used to this from everyone in their group of friends. At the fifteen minute mark, he calmly took out his cell phone and checked the breaking news site he’d bookmarked ages ago for any big emergencies. There was no mention of an ongoing crisis, magical or mundane, so Nino pocketed his phone and kept waiting by his car.

“Nino!”

“Finally,” Nino said, as Alya waved at him from a block away and came running. “What on earth took you so long?”

Alya hugged Nino. “It’s good to see you!”

“Yeah, it’s… it’s good to see you too,” Nino said, confused, “but that didn’t really answer my-”

“Oh, shoot!” Alya interrupted. “I forgot something back at my place. Let’s go.”

“What?” Nino frowned as Alya took his hand and started pulling him back the way she came. “Are you sure it’s something you need? We’re kind of cutting it close.” Alya ignored him. “Alya, you’re acting really-”

“Oh!” Alya exclaimed suddenly. “Let’s take a shortcut through this dark abandoned alleyway.”

Everything clicked. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Nino muttered, as the illusion of Alya dragged him down the alley. “You said you’d stop doing this, I swear to God, Alya-”

“Well, well, well,” a chilly voice behind them said. “Alya Césaire.”

Rolling his eyes, Nino turned back the way they came to see an older man blocking their way out. The illusion of Alya gasped and clung to Nino, which Nino thought was a bit much. Alya’s autonomous illusions, unfortunately, were somewhat limited when it came to personality. “Pierre Durand!” the illusion said.

“You’ve been causing a heap of trouble for me and my friends, Miss Césaire,” Durand said. He waved a hand, magically freezing them in place. Nino bit back an irritated sigh and tried to look frightened. “That ends today. I think it’s high time someone taught you a lesson. Tell me, should I start with you or your little boyfriend?”

“Little?” Nino repeated. “I’m taller than you, dude. And I’m not her-”

“Durand!” Durand whirled around as a masked figure dropped from a nearby fire escape and landed in a graceful crouch behind him. “Leave them alone.”

“Rena Rouge,” Durand hissed. He flicked his wrist, sending a bolt of magic in Rena’s direction. She dodged it easily, then grinned. In an instant, the alley was filled with copy after copy of her. Durand’s eyes widened in alarm, and he began taking out the illusions as fast as he could manage, but to no avail. In no time at all the illusions reached him, along with the real Rena, and she quickly knocked him out. As he crumpled to the ground, Nino regained the use of his legs. All the illusions, including the one currently clinging to his arm for dear life, vanished in a faint wisp of smoke.

“Alya,” Nino said, as she bent over and hoisted the unconscious Durand over her shoulder, “I thought we agreed on twenty-four hours advanced notice for this shit.”

“Sorry,” Rena said, “he started tailing me half an hour ago, I just barely managed to get away long enough to swap in the double. And I’ve been after this guy for months. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I just gotta drop him off at the nearest police station and then we can head to Marinette’s, okay?” Before Nino could respond, Rena crouched low and jumped onto the nearby roof.

Sighing, Nino made his way out of the alley and started walking back to his car.

 

* * *

 

“Oh my God, Marinette, your new place is gorgeous!” Alya gushed the second they were inside the apartment.

“You two are twenty minutes late!” Marinette snapped as she ushered them in. From the dining table, Adrien raised an eyebrow at Nino.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Nino said quickly. “Super-Lois here just had to go and use me as bait.”

“Alya! We talked about that!”

“I didn’t have a choice! Anyway, Nino was fine,” Alya said dismissively, handing Marinette a bottle of wine as she crossed to the table. “And on the plus side, we don’t have to worry about Durand anymore. He is being safely locked up in sorcerer jail as we speak.”

Marinette and Adrien’s jaws dropped in unison. “How did you manage that?” Adrien asked, stunned.

“Oh, he got ahead of himself and decided to take out the plucky little gumshoe that informed Paris just what sorcerers can get up to in this city,” Alya said smugly. “Marinette, this food looks amazing,” she added, grabbing a plate and sitting down.

“That is what I have been telling her for twenty minutes straight,” Adrien said.

“Neither of you count, you didn’t grow up in the foodservice industry.” Marinette turned back to Nino, who laughed. “Keep in mind it’s been sitting around for far too long-“

“It smells great, really,” Nino said, grabbing a plate of his own before sitting down. “So this Durand guy that Alya just dangled me in front of, bad news?”

“He’s been very outspoken about his feelings on all the new magic registration laws,” Adrien said. “And on what he’d do to anybody who tried to make him follow them. You’re sure you’re okay, right?”

Nino squeezed Adrien’s hand under the table. “Come on, you know it takes way more than that to phase me,” he said, grinning. “Your mom couldn’t handle him?”

“She couldn’t find him,” Adrien said. “None of us could. He was the last big holdout.” He let out a huge sigh of relief. “I can’t believe it’s over.”

“Yep,” Alya said happily, “and now we can focus on more important things, like Marinette’s sick new apartment.”

Marinette grinned. “Wait until we’re done eating and I can show you the workroom I’ve got set up, it’s incredible. I’ll be able to fill twice as many orders now, easy. And I’ll be able to work on pieces to submit to fashion houses, too. Maybe finally move away from independent commissions into a real career.”

“You know,” Adrien said hesitantly, “I think there are some internship opportunities at my father’s-“

“Ugh, pass,” Marinette said, making a face. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean it like… well, okay, I did mean it like that, but-“

“It’s fine,” Adrien said quickly. “I just thought, I mean, well, he kind of owes you. Like… a lot. And he knows it, too.”

“And I’m fine with that never changing,” Marinette said. “No offense, but I’m really not interested in getting career favors from your dad just so he can sleep better at night. I know he’s changed and he’s working for us now, but I deal with him enough as Ladybug, I don’t need to deal with him as Marinette, too. Don’t worry, though, I already have some really promising opportunities lined up.”

“That’s great!” Alya said, grinning. “I’m sure you’ll knock ‘em out of the park.” She held a glass up. “To Marinette’s new workroom!”

“And to her new kitchen,” Nino added, as they all raised their glasses, “which, by the way, officially passes the test, this food is amazing.”

“Yeah, thanks so much for insisting we all come over for the first official meal,” Adrien said.

Marinette beamed. “I was thinking of making it a weekly thing, actually,” she said. “I know we see each other all the time but, well, now that we’ve graduated and have such different jobs now, that might change. And I think we should have something that brings us all together regularly that isn’t, you know…”

“Crazy superhero shenanigans?” Nino suggested.

Marinette laughed. “Yeah, that.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Adrien said eagerly.

“Totally,” Alya agreed. “Let’s do it.”

 

* * *

 

Much later that evening, Nino threw a jacket on and left his apartment. Adrien was out on patrol, and Nino liked to take the opportunity to get some walking in by himself. It wasn’t exactly the workout his boyfriend was getting, but it was calming. It gave Nino the opportunity to take quick stock of his life, think through any issues that might be weighing on his mind, maybe run an errand or two while he took in the sights of the city.

“Mr. Lahiffe?”

Nino turned to see a short, old man waiting just outside the apartment building’s main door that he’d just exited through. “Yeah?” he said, somewhat warily. “Do I know you?”

The man smiled. “We’ve never been formally introduced,” he said. There was something familiar about his sage expression, familiar and unsettling. Nino squinted at him for a second.

“Wait,” he said slowly. “You’re that guy… yeah, you’re the guy that gave Alya her Miraculous four years ago.”

“And Marinette and Adrien theirs three years before that,” he agreed. “My name is Fu, and I am known as the Guardian.”

Nino’s heart skipped a beat. “Is Adrien okay?” he asked. “Did something happen?”

“Adrien is perfectly fine,” Fu said. “I came here to discuss you, actually.”

Nino blinked. “Me? Why?”

“It might take a little time to explain,” Fu said. “Shall we walk?”

 

* * *

 

Adrien was already in bed by the time Nino got back to their apartment. He grinned, eyelids half-closed, as Nino entered their bedroom. “Hey, you,” he said, yawning. “I’m not used to getting back from patrol to an empty bed. Usually you’re the one waiting up for me.”

“Sorry,” Nino mumbled. He took his jacket off and began undressing.

“Nah, turnabout’s fair play,” Adrien said. “Where were you?”

“Just… walking. Thinking.” Nino got into bed.

“Thinking about what?” Adrien asked, as he wrapped an arm around Nino’s waist. “Did something happen?”

“Not exactly. I… kind of got a job offer.”

“That’s great!” Adrien grinned at Nino, but Nino didn’t return the expression. “What’s wrong? You were just saying this morning that you wanted a promotion.”

“It’s not a promotion,” Nino said. “It’s not at the radio station at all.”

Adrien frowned, confused. “I thought you liked working at the station.”

“I do,” Nino said. He didn’t meet Adrien’s eyes, opting instead to stare up at their bedroom ceiling. “It’s… I wouldn’t quit, it would be in addition to what I’m doing now. New responsibilities. I’d probably be crazy to turn it down, but on the other hand what we have now is good, right?”

“So good,” Adrien murmured, kissing Nino’s temple.

“Adrien…”

“Yeah?”

“Are we together because you’re Chat Noir?”

Adrien blinked. “Huh?”

“What I mean is, your life as Chat is pretty crazy sometimes. Wizards and monsters and…  is the thing that you like about me that I’m normal?”

Adrien stared at Nino. “Is that what you think? After all these years, everything we’ve been through together? This whole time, you thought I just-”

“No, not this whole time,” Nino said defensively. “It’s a new-just forget I said anything, it was stupid.”

“Nino. Look at me.” Sighing, Nino rolled onto his side and looked into Adrien’s green eyes. They were deep and serious, far more serious than Nino was used to. “You’re one of the kindest people I know,” Adrien said. “You’re giving, and smart, and sexy. None of that sounds normal to me. I’m with you because you make me feel happy, and secure, and safe. Okay?” After a brief moment of hesitation, Nino nodded. “Tell me what’s bothering you?”

Nino sighed. “I talked to the Guardian tonight, while you were out patrolling. He’s looking for a successor. He thinks I’d be a good fit.”

Adrien just managed to keep his jaw from dropping. “Oh,” he finally said. “So… what, you’re worried I’ll stop liking you if you get a Miraculous?” he teased.

Nino laughed. “God, I can’t stop thinking of things to worry about, Adrien! I know that one was dumb, I just-I keep thinking of fifty new things to worry about a minute ever since I got the offer. I can’t keep up with them to figure out which ones are completely crazy or not.”

Adrien tightened his embrace. “Tell me,” he said. “Just say them out loud, run them by me. I can help.”

Nino nodded. “Okay. Um. Well, I’m worried that I’m the one not-magic thing in your life and it’s the only thing keeping us tethered to reality. There’s already Marinette, and Alya, and your parents, you know? We get dragged into so much magic and danger as it is. What if me taking a Miraculous is what sends our lives completely off the rails?”

“Ah.” Adrien considered this. “Not crazy,” he admitted. “But the Guardian’s Miraculous isn’t like the others. The Guardian doesn’t get dragged into crazy adventures like the rest of us. He keeps the other Miraculous holders grounded.” Adrien considered this. “Kind of like you already do, actually. Maybe that’s why the Guardian thinks you’d be good at it.”

Nino nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said. “That makes sense.” He looked at Adrien. “It’s not going to be weird for you if I become your superhero boss?”

“Honestly? It’s kind of hot.” Nino laughed. “What else?”

“I… I know we were never going to have a normal life together, but I still wanted all the normal milestones, you know? Marriage, kids, grandkids.”

“The Guardian had a wife and kids once,” Adrien pointed out.

“Yeah, and he watched them all die a hundred years ago,” Nino said bitterly.

“Oh,” Adrien said softly.

“He mentioned them when I asked,” Nino continued. “When I asked him what it was like. He tried to make it sound like it was fine, like he was just happy for the time he had with Jun and their kids and he’s not sad about it because they lived long, full lives, but you know what, Adrien? That freaks me out more. I think… I think I really hate the idea of living so long that I’m not sad about losing you anymore.”

Adrien was silent for a while. “If you don’t think you could go through that, I wouldn’t blame you,” he finally said. “God knows I can’t imagine what it must be like. But I gotta say, for my own selfish reasons, the thought of you living an extra hundred years is definitely a positive one. The thought of you being around for our children their entire lives, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, keeping them safe, making sure they live those long full lives that Fu’s children did… it’s so much to ask, Nino, I know that. Maybe it’s too much to ask. But God, I would love to know you’ll always be there for them.”

Nino blinked away a few tears. “Yeah, that’s a good point,” he whispered.

Adrien took Nino’s hand. “Nino, as long as we’ve been together, you’ve never made me feel like I had to choose between you and being Chat, you know? I would never do that to you, either. This is a decision you have to make for yourself, and whatever that decision ultimately is, I’ll support it. I just want to be with you, whatever that means. If it means you’re not the Guardian, that’s fine. If it means you are the Guardian, that’s fine, too. Kids, no kids, we can figure that out later, and whatever we decide we’ll do it together. Because we’ll do everything together. That’s all that really matters to me.”

For a moment, Nino had trouble breathing. He leaned over and kissed Adrien impulsively. “I love you so much,” he whispered, pressing his forehead against Adrien’s.

Adrien grinned. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

The next morning, it was Adrien who woke Nino up with a kiss. “Hey,” he whispered.

“Hey,” Nino whispered back, smiling as his eyes slowly opened.

“Feeling better? Less uncertain about everything?”

“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” Nino said wryly. He reached up and traced his fingers down the side of Adrien’s face. “This isn’t exactly one of those things that feels smaller in the light of day.”

“Take your time with it,” Adrien said. “Talk to me if you need to. I’ll be here.”

Nino nodded. “Can we just… I don’t know, do something distracting today? Just be together, without talking about it? I think I might need to clear my head before I start tackling it.”

“Of course.” Adrien kissed Nino’s cheek. “I’m gonna take a shower, you figure out what you want us to do today, okay?” Adrien threw the covers aside and got out of bed. He only got two steps closer to the bathroom, however, before Nino let out a small scream behind him. “What?” Adrien said, turning back. “What’s wrong?”

Nino stared at Adrien for a moment in silence, his hand over his mouth, a look of total shock on his face. “Your, uh. Your. Um. Your back,” Nino finally managed to say. It took Adrien half a second, and then he was running for the bathroom mirror, Nino close behind.

For a long time they just stared at their twin marks in the mirror. They’d both looked for the marks daily, of course, but actually seeing them still felt unreal. It was Adrien who finally managed to tear his gaze away and look at Nino. “For the record,” he said, trying and failing to keep from grinning like an idiot, “I didn’t need one.”

“Me, either,” Nino said, his own face split into a wide grin as well.

“I was spending the rest of my life with you no matter what.”

“Me, too,” Nino said. He started laughing. “Of course,” he said, “with all this uncertainty, I’d get a sign about the one thing I’m a hundred percent sure of.”

“It’s good, though, right?”

In response, Nino wrapped an arm around Adrien and pulled him close, kissing him eagerly. Nino’s other hand came up to cradle the back of Adrien’s head and he ran his fingers through Adrien’s hair. A pleasant shudder ran down Adrien’s spine, and he melted a little in Nino’s embrace. “I think,” Nino whispered, “I figured out what I want to do today. And it doesn’t involve getting dressed, or leaving this apartment.”

“Whatever it is, I’m yours,” Adrien murmured.

Nino kissed Adrien’s neck, and he trailed his fingertips along the space between Adrien’s shoulder blades, the space where Nino’s signature lay. “That’s right,” he said. “You’re mine. I’m yours. Forever.”


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien tapped his fingers on the dining table impatiently later that day. His phone was lying next to them on the table, currently on speaker mode and playing soft classical music. Nino sat down next to Adrien and handed him a sandwich. “Almost twenty minutes I’ve been on hold,” Adrien said.

“I’ve been on hold way longer than that before.”

“To talk to your own father?”

Nino snorted, then kissed Adrien’s cheek. “Sorry, dude. I’m sure it won’t be much-“ Nino stopped talking as the music abruptly cut out.

“Father?”

“I am so sorry, Adrien,” Nathalie’s voice replied, “I don’t know _what_ Claire was thinking, putting you on hold instead of coming directly to me. Honestly, every time I think she finally has a handle on how things ought to be running around here, she goes and-” Nathalie cut herself off with an irritated huff. “Well, it doesn’t matter. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Adrien said defensively.

“Really? Claire said it was important, and that you refused to give her the details. I assumed there was some kind of supernatural-”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just… not really a phone conversation. Will Father be available later today?”

“He’d better be,” Nathalie muttered. “Come over this afternoon, and I’ll make sure he’s out of that cave of an office by the time you arrive.”

“Great,” Adrien said. “Is it okay if I have Mom come over, too? I’d like to get everyone together for this.”

“Evelyn is already here, actually,” Nathalie said.

“Really?”

“Your father’s been MIA for almost three weeks, working non-stop on an acquisition,” she said, annoyed, “and I needed backup.”

“Backup? For what? What’s Mom doing?”

“Tiring your sister out, God willing.”

Adrien grinned. “Good luck with that,” he said. “See you in a few hours, Nat.”

 

* * *

 

Adrien and Nino arrived at the manor with a few minutes to spare, and a slightly frazzled Nathalie ushered them inside. “It’s good to see you both,” she said. “You’re sure everything’s alright?”

“Everything’s great,” Nino said. “We just wanted to… um…” he trailed off as a fluffy white rabbit hopped into the foyer, pink nose twitching. The creature came to a stop in front of him, then went up on its hind legs and tilted its head to the side. Nino looked at Adrien and Nathalie, but neither seemed phased. “You… you guys see it too, right?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Adrien asked, confused.

Before Nino could reply, a laughing toddler came barreling in after it, Evelyn following behind her at a leisurely pace. “Darcy! Look, he went that way!”

Darcy shrieked happily as she ran, but about halfway across the foyer she suddenly swerved and changed direction. “Adrien!” She was on him in an instant, clinging to his leg and trying to scramble up him. Evelyn waved a hand and the rabbit disappeared. “Adrien, up!”

“Hey, Darcy,” Adrien said, picking his sister up. She stayed still in his arms for about three seconds before frantically climbing up onto his shoulders. Adrien shot Nathalie an incredulous look. “This is Darcy _after_ two hours of Mom wearing her out?”

Nathalie rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth were picked up in the hint of a smile. She pulled her daughter off of Adrien and placed a quick kiss on her forehead before setting her back down on the ground, where she immediately took off again. Once Adrien was free, Evelyn hugged him warmly. “How are you, darling?”

“Great,” Adrien said, grinning. “Nino and I just have some news, that’s all. Where’s Father?”

“Still on a call,” Nathalie said, glancing at her wristwatch. “He knows he’d better be done by four, which means either you’ll see him in three minutes, or I’m getting a divorce.”

“Ooh,” Evelyn said, her eyes lighting up, “we could start a club.”

Nathalie snorted. “You’d flake on half the meetings.”

“True,” Evelyn admitted, “but-”

“Nino!” Darcy shouted. “Nino, catch me!”

“What is she-oh, _shit_ ,” Nino said, sprinting across the foyer as Darcy launched herself off the landing in the middle of the manor’s giant staircase, catching her just before she went crashing into the marble floor.

“Darcy!” Nathalie yelled. “I have told you a million times not to do that!”

“Nino likes it!” Darcy shouted back.

“No I don’t, Darce,” Nino said quickly.

“Darcy?” Gabriel Agreste appeared at his office doorway, and Darcy immediately wiggled out of Nino’s arms and ran over to her father. Nino crossed back to Adrien and took his hand. Adrien flashed Nino a quick smile of gratitude, and Nino tightened his grasp. Adrien loved Darcy, of course, but it wasn’t always the easiest thing for him, watching his father do a better job the second time around. “Well?” Gabriel looked at Adrien expectantly. “What’s this urgent matter that couldn’t be discussed over the phone?” Adrien and Nino exchanged a glance as Adrien’s parents waited patiently.

“We got the marks,” Nino said, at the same time Adrien said, “We’re getting married!” Everyone stared at the two of them in a stunned silence for a beat, and then Darcy screeched and tackle-hugged Adrien’s knees.

“Oh, congratulations! Baby, that’s wonderful!” Evelyn exclaimed, hugging Adrien close, then quickly pulling Nino in as well. “Oh, I couldn’t be happier!”

Gabriel and Nathalie were more reserved by nature, but Nathalie patted Nino’s shoulder and smiled as Gabriel hugged his son, only somewhat stiffly. “When did all this happen?” Nathalie asked.

“This morning,” Adrien said. “I know it probably seems kind of sudden, and I know how you feel about soulmates rushing into things, but-”

“Nonsense,” Nathalie interrupted. “After everything Nino’s been through? You should have locked him down ages ago.” Nino grinned as Nathalie pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it. “You two haven’t decided on any vendors yet, have you? I’ll send you the shortlists Gabriel and I came up with for our wedding, of course it’s a few years out of date but I can look into-hey!” Nathalie scowled as Evelyn grabbed her phone out of her grasp. “Give that back!”

“You are ridiculous,” Evelyn said. She looked at Gabriel. “Tell your wife she’s ridiculous, and the boys can worry about vendors later.”

“I suppose it can wait a day,” Gabriel said, though he sounded skeptical.

“Can I come?” Darcy asked, her eyes wide. “To the wedding? Please?”

Adrien laughed. “You have to come, Darcy, who else is going to be our flower girl?”

“Am I at least allowed to make a reservation somewhere nice, so we can celebrate properly?” Nathalie asked. Evelyn sighed, but handed the phone back. “Thank you. Boys, is eight o’clock alright? I know it’s late, but it’s very short notice for a Sunday, so it might be difficult to get anything earlier at a decent establishment.”

“We can celebrate in an abandoned shack at midnight for all I care,” Adrien said happily, taking Nino’s hand. “Just as long as we’re all together.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh my God, guys, this is amazing,” Alya said, gesturing to the cake sample she’d just taken a bite of. “This is it, this is your wedding cake.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “You’ve said that about the last nine samples, Alya,” she said. “Adrien?”

“She’s right, they’re all amazing,” Adrien said, finishing off his own sample. “Your parents are miracle workers.”

“Just have ten cakes,” Alya said.

Adrien grinned. “Tempting, but probably not the best solution. Nino?”

“Hmm?” Nino looked up from his phone. “Uh, yeah, that sounds good.” Narrowing her eyes, Alya leaned forward suddenly and grabbed Nino’s phone away. “Hey!”

“You can do whatever you’re doing after you pick a cake, jeez. You realize this is literally the only good part of wedding planning, right?”

Adrien tilted his head. “You okay, Nino?”

“Fine, I’m sorry. Just… catching up on some reading.” Nino looked at the ten bite-sized pieces laid out in front of him. “How many do we have it narrowed down to?”

“Ten,” Marinette said. “Your fiancé is incapable of picking a favorite pastry.” She fixed Adrien with a stare. “Adrien, I love you, and I know you can be non-confrontational, but I promise you that you will not hurt any of the cakes’ feelings if you pick a favorite.”

“They’re all just really good!”

Marinette raised an eyebrow. “Nino, what’s Adrien’s favorite flavor of cake?”

Nino looked down at his plate. “Is there a catnip flavored one?” Adrien threw his napkin at Nino’s head as the girls burst into laughter. “Okay, okay, I’ll settle this.” He took a bite of each sample as quickly as he could, then pointed at the sixth one, a heavy chocolate with a thin layer of raspberry filling in the middle. “This one. It’s not even close, Adrien, come on.” Smiling, Marinette jotted Nino’s choice down as Nino turned back to Alya. “Can I have my phone back now?”

Alya pulled Nino’s phone out of her pocket, but instead of returning it she looked at the screen. “What are you reading anyway that’s more important than… oh, shit.” She scrolled through, her eyes widening. “Is this Guardian stuff?”

Nino took his phone back. “Yeah, Fu digitized the grimoire. I’ve been falling behind on training, what with all the wedding planning.”

“So you’ve decided?” Marinette asked, looking up from her notepad.

Nino shook his head. “No, I’m still thinking about it. Fu just thought I should start getting a taste for some of the training, that’s all. It might make it easier to decide.”

“How long are you going to take?” Alya asked.

“As long as he needs to,” Adrien said quickly. “It’s a big decision, he shouldn’t be pressured to decide before it feels right.”

“Of course not, I didn’t mean it like that,” Alya said, looking at Nino. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Nino said. “Actually… I mean, I was worried at first, about Fu wasting his time on me when he could be out looking for a new candidate, but I’ve been reading about the old Guardians, back before their temple was destroyed. They studied for _decades_ before making any final decisions. So, yeah, I’m gonna study and take all the time I need.”

Adrien smiled and took Nino’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Good.”

 

* * *

 

Alya poked her head into the room and scowled. “I have been looking all over for you,” she said to Marinette. “You know those two aren’t supposed to see each other until the ceremony, don’t you?”

“Says who?” asked Nino, as he fixed his fiancé’s tie. “Seriously, dude, your father is a fashion designer, how did you manage to go twenty-three years without learning how to knot one of these things?”

“Says centuries of tradition,” Alya said, hand on her hip.

“It’s bad luck to see the _bride_ before the ceremony,” Adrien corrected, “and we don’t have one of those. Back me up on this, Marinette.”

“Don’t drag me into this, I told you not to follow me here.” Marinette looked across the room at Alya. “I tried, but I had to drop Nino’s jacket off and it’s just impossible to keep them apart. Why were you looking for me?”

Alya took a few steps into the room and held her arms out. “Am I wearing this right?” she asked, turning around slowly to display her orange and gold takchita. “Don’t get me wrong, you’ve completely outdone yourself, but it feels off from when you did the last fitting.”

Marinette squinted. “You’ve got the belt on upside-down,” she said. “Here, hold still.” She unfastened the offending garment, flipped it over, and refastened it.

“Thanks, girl, you’re a lifesaver-” Alya was cut off suddenly by a loud buzzing.

“Alya, you said you were gonna shut that thing off,” Nino said, as Alya pulled her cell phone out of her clutch.

“I will, I will, I just…” Alya trailed off as she read the alert, frowning.

“What is it?” Adrien asked, concerned.

“Um. Nothing, nothing. I just… Marinette, can I talk to you outside?” Alya grabbed Marinette’s arm and turned for the doorway, but Adrien quickly stepped in front, blocking her exit. “Seriously, it’s nothing.” Adrien raised an eyebrow and didn’t move. Sighing in defeat, Alya handed her phone over.

“This is…” Adrien looked up, his face pale. “Alya-”

“Is that a sea monster? In the Seine?” Nino asked, reading over Adrien’s shoulder. “Attacking the Pont de l'Archevêché?”

“Ladybug and I can handle it,” Alya said quickly. “Right, Marinette?”

“Yeah,” Marinette said quickly, “you two don’t need to worry about it, we can-”

“No,” Nino interrupted. He looked up at Adrien. “I’ve studied the grimoire enough to know that you’ll need Cataclysm to take care of that thing.”

“Well…” Marinette frowned, but didn’t dispute Nino’s point. “Maybe Adrien can sneak out after the ceremony to help us-“

“We can’t get married without you two, it wouldn’t be right!” Adrien said.

“Besides,” Nino said, “the longer you take, the more civilians get hurt, and I know for a fact that your Miraculous Ladybug cure only works on quantic-inflicted damage. It won’t work for this.”

“You two are getting married in an _hour_ ,” Alya said.

“Yes,” Adrien said firmly. “Yes, we are. So we’d better leave right now if we want to be back in time.” He leaned forward and kissed Nino. “Sorry,” he whispered.

Nino kissed Adrien back. “You’ve got the rest of your life to make it up to me,” he said, and Adrien grinned before following the girls out.

Nino sat down at the room’s small table, bracing himself for a long wait as he pulled up coverage of the attack on his phone. It wasn’t ten minutes later, though, that a very exasperated wedding coordinator burst into the room, Nathalie and Darcy in tow. “Do you know where your fiancé is?” she asked.

“Nope,” Nino lied easily, glancing down at the footage on his phone of said fiancé fighting a particularly stubborn tentacle. “Have you checked-”

“I have looked everywhere,” the coordinator interrupted. “We are at T-minus forty-six minutes, and somehow I am down one groom and two bridesmaids-sorry, groomsmaids. I’m sequestering the rest of the wedding party here until I’ve found everyone, so you three are absolutely forbidden from leaving this room until I return, understood?” Without waiting for an answer, she slammed the door.

Shaking her head slightly, Nathalie released Darcy and sat down next to Nino. “Running after a mysteriously vanished Adrien,” she murmured. “I remember when that was my job. Almost makes me feel nostalgic.”

Nino looked at Nathalie. “You’re part of the wedding party now?”

“In strictly a backstage capacity. Official Flower Girl Wrangler.” Nathalie looked down at Nino’s phone, then picked it up. “Gabriel didn’t mention why he had to disappear suddenly. Good Lord, look at that thing.”

“They’ll be fine,” Nino said confidently, taking his phone back and putting it away.

Nathalie nodded. “Is it terribly selfish,” she asked, “that one of the reasons I’m so happy you’re marrying Adrien is I’ve finally got someone in this family to wait with while everyone else goes off to save Paris?”

Nino smiled. “Nah, I’m happy to have someone to wait with for once, too.”

“Present!” Across the room, Darcy had managed to get into Adrien’s bag, and was now triumphantly holding a wrapped gift aloft.

“Darcy,” Nathalie said patiently, “we talked about how there are going to be a lot of presents today that aren’t for you, it’s your brother’s wedding-”

“This one’s _mine_ , this one says D-A-R-C-Y,” Darcy said, pointing.

“You caught us,” Nino said, “that’s for the world’s best flower girl.” Squealing, Darcy started ripping the paper off.

“I hope it’s alright she’s opening it now,” Nathalie said.

“Yeah, it should be fine. Besides, I’m kind of curious, Adrien didn’t tell me what he-”

“Ladybug!”

“Oh my God,” Nino muttered, “he got his sister a Chat Noir coloring book. I’m marrying him. I’m spending the rest of my life with that dork.”

Nathalie laughed. “Don’t worry, that was my suggestion,” she said. “Darcy’s been obsessed with all things Ladybug for about two months straight now.”

“Really?”

“I’m told it’s a very common phase, for girls her age.” Nathalie grinned. “You have no idea how gratifying it is to watch Gabriel Agreste’s daughter go through it. She talks his ear off at every opportunity about Ladybug, and he just has to-”

“Stickers!”

“Darcy, _no_ ,” Nathalie said, immediately jumping up and snatching the sheet out of her daughter’s grasp.

“Those are _mine_!” Darcy yelled, stamping her foot.

“You can have them back after the wedding,” Nathalie said calmly, holding the stickers out of reach. “If I let you have them now, half of them will be in your hair before the ceremony even-”

“That’s not fair, that’s not fair!”

Nathalie sighed wearily. “You may have _one_ sticker, and I will put it on the back of your hand, and you’re not going to touch it, understand?” Darcy continued to pout, but stopped her tantrum and nodded sulkily. Nathalie removed the smallest sticker, a red circle with black spots, and placed it at the center of Darcy’s hand. Placated, Darcy sat down on the floor and began coloring.

“Sorry,” Nino mouthed, as Nathalie walked back to the table, glaring at him the entire way. “If I’d known-”

“One day,” Nathalie interrupted, her tone dark, “you and Adrien will have a child. And one day, mark my words, I will purchase for that child the largest, loudest drum set money can buy.”

 

* * *

 

“You’re sure Adrien’s gonna make it?” Nino whispered to the wedding coordinator, as next to them Nathalie pointed her daughter towards the altar and released her.

“Yes, yes,” the coordinator whispered back impatiently, as petals went flying. “My assistant just finished cleaning him up, he’s on his way now.” She signaled Alya and Marinette, who’d reappeared mere minutes ago, and they both began walking. Nino took one last look down the back hallway, but it was still empty when the wedding coordinator nudged Nino into the chapel.

Every step down the aisle, Nino had to fight the urge to look back. “He’s fine,” Alya whispered to Nino as he reached the front. Nino finally turned around, and stared at the darkened doorway at the back, counting out the beats in his head as the wedding march played.

And suddenly, there he was. Adrien looked incredible, of course, even though his hair was a disaster. As Adrien began walking towards Nino he grinned. It was so playful, so joyful, so utterly _Chat_ , that Nino found himself wondering for the hundredth time why it wasn’t obvious to the whole city who Adrien really was.

“Sorry,” Adrien whispered, as he joined Nino, “I didn’t mean to cut it that-” Nino cut him off with an impulsive kiss.

Muffled laughter arose from the crowd, and the minister cleared her throat. “I believe that part comes later,” she said kindly, and the laughter increased. Sheepishly, Nino and Adrien separated. “We are gathered here today,” the minister began, “to celebrate the union…”

“How’d it go?” Nino whispered, as the minister continued.

“It was a tough nut,” Adrien whispered back, “but we Kracken’d it.” Nino snorted, and Alya immediately shushed him. “You look incredible,” Adrien added.

“So do you,” Nino murmured.

“I’m a mess, that assistant is never going to forgive me.” The minister raised an eyebrow at the pair of them, but continued her speech.

“Quiet,” Marinette hissed, “you can talk after you’re married.”

“You look perfect,” Nino whispered, moving his hand over ever so slightly so as to intertwine his fingers with his soulmate’s as they stood before the altar. “I wouldn’t want to marry you any other way.”


	3. Chapter 3

Nino had been reading for a few hours straight, curled up on the couch in front of his apartment’s small gas fireplace with the grimoire and a particularly fuzzy blanket, and the rest of the world had dropped away. Nino didn’t notice Adrien until Adrien was curled up next to him, arms around his waist, head peeking curiously over Nino’s shoulder. “How’s it going?” his husband asked.

“Good,” Nino said, not looking up. “Just rereading the sections on the Peacock Miraculous.”

Adrien leaned closer in. “That’s the one my mom had, right?”

“Mmhmm.” Nino flipped a page. “It’s one of the trickier ones. I can see why it didn’t work out with her.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. It might be the most demanding Miraculous, aside from the Guardian’s.” Nino pointed to a painting of a royal blue kwami. “I haven’t met Duusu yet, but she’s the kwami of Magic itself. So I’m sure it made sense to Fu at the time, picking a young sorceress for the job. And Evelyn probably liked the boost she got to her magic, too, at first. But excelling at sorcery, which your mother obviously does, requires a very particular personality type, and the Peacock Miraculous…” Nino trailed off, collecting his thoughts for a moment. “It comes with visions,” he said. “They come more frequently the longer you wield it. Past, present, future. People in need, people the heroes of the day can help. It’s very draining after a while, if you’re not suited to it. I’m not sure I could stand it, myself.”

“Huh.” Adrien traced a finger over the drawing of the Miraculous. “She told my father it was weak. Useless.”

“It isn’t,” Nino said. “But that was probably easier to say than the truth.” He turned to Adrien. “It doesn’t excuse the rest of what she did, not even a little,” he said. “Leaving you, disappearing for two years. But abandoning the Miraculous… I don’t think I can blame her for that part of it. It was a mistake to choose Evelyn in the first place.” Sighing, Nino looked back down at the grimoire, narrowing his eyes in concentration. “If I decide to succeed Fu, I’ll have to figure out how to get it right next time.”

Adrien pressed his lips to Nino’s temple. “You will,” he said confidently. “You’d make an amazing Guardian. You know that, right?”

Nino smiled. “Thanks.”

“I mean it,” Adrien said. “You’ve already come so far. Half the time now I don’t even bother going to Fu with an issue, I just ask you. The girls, too.”

“I know,” Nino said. “I’d be good at it, I’d enjoy it, I’d be keeping you safe. It’s just… I want to feel certain, and I don’t. I still don’t know if it’s the right decision for me, for us. For our family.”

In response, Adrien leaned forward and kissed his soulmate. Nino closed his eyes, melting into Adrien’s embrace, and for a moment there was just the warmth of the fire and Adrien’s touch and a pleasant shudder running down Nino’s back. Nino closed the grimoire and pushed it aside, then slid a hand under Adrien’s shirt, trailing his fingertips along Adrien’s bare skin. A happy sigh escaped Adrien’s lips, and he loosened his embrace so he could pull Nino’s shirt off entirely. Adrien ran one hand over Nino’s bare chest, the other circling round Nino’s waist, his fingers trailing up Nino’s spine to the space between his shoulder blades, where Adrien’s signature lay. He pulled Nino in to him, leaning back into the couch’s armrest as he looked up into Nino’s eyes, gold and flickering in the soft light of the fire.

“What brought this on?” Nino asked, running his fingers through Adrien’s hair. “Not that I’m complaining or anything.

“Our family,” Adrien quoted, and Nino's smile grew. “I just love hearing you say that.” Adrien pushed himself up on one elbow to press his lips to Nino’s once more. “We should make an appointment with that agency,” Adrien murmured.

“Are you sure?” Nino pulled back, studying Adrien’s face. “You don’t think we should wait until I figure all this Guardian stuff out first?”

Adrien shook his head. “Why?” he asked. “We didn’t wait to get married. If we start putting our lives on hold, you’ll feel pressured to make your decision before the time is right. Besides, how are you supposed to decide what’s right for our family before you’ve met the most important member?”

Slowly, Nino nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

 

* * *

 

“I took the liberty of setting a meeting up with Bennett later this afternoon,” Nathalie told Adrien and Nino, as she ushered them into the mansion. She handed them a copy of Bennett’s resume, with her own notes scribbled all over it in neat, cramped handwriting. “Technically the most prestigious adoption lawyer in Paris is Claudette Winters, but Bennett has more experience with Moroccan adoptions specifically, so I thought-but of course I can cancel and reschedule with Winters if you’d prefer-“ Adrien cut her off with an impulsive hug, which she returned somewhat awkwardly.

“Thank you,” Adrien whispered.

“Of course,” Nathalie said, sounding slightly embarrassed. “Only the best where my future grandchild is concerned, after all. Did you bring all the paperwork from the agency?”

Nodding, Adrien released his stepmother and turned to Nino. Nino fished out a thick folder from his messenger bag and handed it over. “Yep, we brought everything.”

“Good heavens, look at all this,” Nathalie murmured, flipping through the first few pages. “I’m not one to be intimidated by paperwork, but this all seems a bit much, doesn’t it?”

Nino snorted. “You wouldn’t believe how much red tape we’re getting to bypass, actually,” he told her. “My dual citizenship is doing most of the heavy lifting, but being soulmates means we get to bypass a ton of additional requirements, too. Age minimums, income, and the approval process only takes about half as long.”

Nathalie rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she muttered, continuing to look through the paperwork, “because soulmate marriages are always perfect. Why waste time vetting them?”

“Yeah,” Adrien said, “it’s an unfair advantage. But is it that much more unfair than being able to afford the best lawyer in the city?”

Nathalie sighed. “No, of course not,” she agreed. “I’m sorry, forget I said anything. Of course you two should use any advantage you can get. You’re going to make wonderful parents, anyone who knows you can see that. It’s unfair you have to go to such great lengths to prove it.”

Adrien smiled. “Thanks, Nathalie.”

She nodded. “Do you have any idea how long the process will be exactly?”

“Bennett can probably make a better guess than we can at this point,” Nino said. “The woman at the agency made it sound very unpredictable. Being soulmates helps, being Moroccan helps, but…” Nino trailed off, frowning, and Adrien took his hand. “We’re not exactly a traditional couple, either. It could be many years.”

 

* * *

 

The phone call had ended almost fifteen minutes ago, but Adrien and Nino were still staring at the phone in shock.

“Three months,” Nino whispered, finally breaking the silence. “Holy shit.”

“We can’t talk like that anymore,” Adrien muttered, dazed.

“How are we going to get ready in time?” Nino asked, his heart beginning to race. “The approval just went through last month! That woman at the agency said it might be another year or more before we even got picked after that, and now-“

“She also said to expect the unexpected,” Adrien said, a grin starting to spread across his face.

“There’s so much _stuff_ to get! We don’t even have a room set up yet, I still haven’t gotten around to reading half the books I bought, we need to start looking up-shit, I have to call my uncle, I know he said we could stay with him when the time came but he wasn’t expecting-“

“Hey, hey.” Adrien grabbed Nino’s hand, laughing slightly. “Usually you’re the one that has to tell me to chill.”

“Nothing about this is usual!”

“I know three months feels like nothing, but it’s enough time, I promise.” Adrien kissed the back of Nino’s hand, and Nino took a deep breath and let it out. “Let’s take this one day at a time, okay? We can start the big stuff tomorrow, but for tonight let’s just do one little thing. Like…” Adrien thought for a moment. “Let’s start figuring out a name.”

“I thought you already had a name picked out,” Nino said.

Adrien frowned, confused. “Huh?”

“You told me if you ever had a daughter, you were naming her Usagi.”

Adrien’s cheeks turned pink. “What? I did not. I don’t remember that.”

“It was, like, the first week we met.”

Adrien’s blush deepened. “Okay, yeah, that sounds like something fourteen year old Adrien would say,” he admitted. “You’re not going to hold me to that, are you?”

“I don’t know, man, I’ve had over a decade to get used to the name ‘Usagi Agreste-Lahiffe’, I’m kind of attached at this point.” Nino managed to keep a straight face for another three seconds, and then he burst out laughing. “Okay, no, you got me, there is no way I’m letting you name our daughter Usagi, I don’t care how good you think that show is.” Adrien froze. “What?”

“You said ‘our daughter’.”

Nino’s grin widened. “Uh huh.”

“Not just hypothetically. A real baby girl that’s going to be ours in three months.”

Nino squeezed Adrien’s hand. “That’s right.”

Adrien took a deep breath of his own. “Holy shit.”

 

* * *

 

“Is it too much? It’s too much, isn’t it?” Adrien reached for the list he’d just given Marinette, but she pulled it away. “There’s still time for us to hire-“

“It’s not too much,” Marinette insisted. “Anyway, your flight is in, what, four hours?”

“Three,” Nino called from their bedroom, where he was currently packing three giant suitcases to capacity, frantically throwing in every scrap of clothing he could find, along with a year’s supply of baby clothes, supplies and toys.

“I will handle everything,” Marinette said confidently. “You two will barely recognize this place when you come back. A month is more than enough time to get everything ready, I promise. You’re sure it’ll be at least a month?”

Adrien nodded. “Hopefully not more than two,” he said. “It’s hard to be more certain than that, but whatever happens we’re not coming back without her. Of course, if there’s some emergency-”

“Alya and I can handle protecting Paris for a month or two,” Marinette said confidently. “You just focus on bringing that baby girl home.”

“Thanks.” Adrien let out a huge sigh. “I hope we’re ready,” he said quietly.

“Of course you are,” Marinette said. “My papa says being a father is half puns anyway, and you’ve already got that down pat.” Adrien grinned. “And of course, Nino’s already everyone’s mom.”

“I heard that!” Nino shouted, annoyed.

Marinette grinned. “I can’t wait to meet her,” she said. “Alya’s talking a big game, and I want to get a head start on establishing myself as the favorite aunt.”

Adrien smiled back at her. “We’re naming her after you, you know,” he told her.

Marinette laughed. “Oh, really? Does Nino’s Great-Aunt Amira know that?”

“Okay, okay,” Adrien said, waving a hand dismissively, “the official story is we’re naming her after Nino’s aunt, but secretly she’s named after you.”

“How does that work, exactly?” Marinette asked. “If her name is Amira?”

Adrien’s grin widened. “‘Amira’ means ‘princess’.”

 

* * *

 

Alya knocked at the apartment door, but she wasn’t terribly surprised when there wasn’t an answer. Rolling her eyes, she fished out the spare key Nino had given her years ago from the bottom of her purse and let herself in.

Nino and Adrien’s apartment was a mess, signs of their rushed departure everywhere. Alya stepped over an abandoned pile of clothing and made her way through the apartment, to a room near the back, next to the bedroom. “Marinette?” she called, sticking her head in. “Are you-holy shit, look at this place.”

Marinette didn’t look up from her stenciling as Alya let out an appreciative whistle. “Hi, Alya. Sorry, I haven’t been checking my phone. Trouble in Paris?”

“No, Paris is fine. Adrien just texted and asked me to make sure you eat, that’s all.”

Marinette laughed. “That’s fair, I might have gotten caught up in painting.” She finished the last decorative leaf on the ivy encircling the room. “Not bad for a day’s work, is it?”

“I’ll say. I was in here last week and it was still just scuff marks all over the walls and stray piles of auxiliary cables and broken synthesizers everywhere. You work fast.”

“Thanks.” Marinette stepped back and admired her work. “Once the paint dries, we can start setting up the crib and the changing table.”

“We?”

“It’s a two-woman job.” Marinette grinned at her best friend. “I saw you fight off a pack of hellhounds last month without breaking a sweat, don’t tell me you’re scared of a few screws and assembly instructions.”

“I’m surprised they had time to pick out a set before leaving,” Alya said. She sat down on the floor at the center of the room and started unpacking the lunch she’d brought. “They left so quickly.”

“Nino looked up a bunch of them online on the drive to the airport and emailed me the model they wanted right before their plane took off,” Marinette replied. She sat down next to Alya and grabbed an apple. Tikki flew into the bag of food and emerged a second later with a giant chocolate chip cookie. “I picked them up on my way here.”

Alya nodded. She pulled out a baguette, ripped it in two, and tossed one half to a very pleased Trixx. “Very pink,” she said, looking at the walls.

“It’ll compliment the dark wood they picked out,” Marinette said defensively. “And what’s wrong with pink anyway?”

“Just a bit heteronormative for a little girl with two dads, isn’t it?” Alya said playfully.

Marinette laughed. “Adrien and Nino knew what they were getting when they gave me full artistic license for their nursery, they’ve seen my home decorating.”

“True.” Alya looked at the fresh paint job one more time and shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong but… this is crazy, right?”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Right?” she said, dropping her voice to a whisper, as though Adrien and Nino could overhear her in Casablanca. “Not that they won’t be amazing dads, but we’re so young, aren’t we?”

“Humans worry too much about babies these days,” Trixx said dismissively. “I remember back when everyone your age had babies, and it was fine.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “Very helpful, Trixx.”

Marinette sighed. “Maybe it’s different for me because I’ll be doing it by myself, but I can’t imagine feeling ready to have a baby for another ten years at least.”

“I can’t imagine feeling ready to have a baby at all,” Alya replied. “Ever.” Marinette looked at her, surprised.

“Really?” Marinette said. “You’re better with kids than anyone I know.”

Alya shrugged. “Kids are great when you can hand them back to their parents at the end of the day,” she said.

“But you love kids.”

“Yeah,” Alya said defensively, “but loving kids isn’t the same thing as wanting them. And not wanting kids isn’t the same thing as hating them, either.”

“Of course it isn’t, but-” Marinette cut herself off and took a breath. “Sorry,” she said. “When I came out as ace a few years ago, there were tons of people lining up to tell me why I was wrong about myself. I’m not going to do that to you.”

Alya smiled. “Thanks.” She looked around the unfinished nursery. “Anyway,” she said, “no kids means I’ll have that much more free time to secure my standing as the World’s Greatest Aunt.”

Marinette laughed. “Challenge accepted,” she said happily.

 

* * *

 

“Is she still asleep?” Nino asked his husband in a whisper, as he pulled his apartment key out as quietly as possible.

“She’s waking up now,” Adrien said softly, looking down at the wiggling seven month old infant in his arms. “It’s past midnight. I guess sleep training can wait another night,” he joked.

“She didn’t eat much on the flight,” Nino said, opening the door. “I should make her a-woah.” He stopped suddenly, and Adrien almost crashed into him. The two stared at their apartment living room for a moment in shock. Every surface was covered in cards, gifts or flowers, and two giant banners hung from the far wall, reading “CONGRATULATIONS, DADS!” and “WELCOME HOME, AMIRA!”

Grinning, Adrien held his daughter up. “See that, Amira, that’s your Aunt Marinette’s handiwork.” He yawned.

“You should get some sleep,” Nino said, as he reached for Amira.

“I’m fine,” Adrien insisted, but he handed the baby over.

“We’re gonna have to trade off anyway, until she’s sleeping through the night. And I slept on the plane, you didn’t.”

Adrien nodded, then leaned down and kissed Amira’s forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he whispered.

Once Adrien had gone to bed, Nino fished out a clean bottle from the baby bag and began preparing formula one handed, the other holding Amira tight. “Shhh,” Nino whispered, as she began to grow impatient. “One sec, baby.” The bottle made, Nino carried Amira to the living room couch and began to feed her. She settled at once, her big dark eyes looking into Nino’s as she ate.

A warmth came over Nino, as he held his daughter in his arms. He’d known her for a few months now, of course, and this was hardly the first time he’d held her or fed her. But it was a different thing, to be doing it in their home, in the place he’d be raising her, in the place they’d be a family.

With his free hand, Nino pulled out his phone. It was almost one in the morning, and Nino nearly convinced himself he should wait until morning. But suddenly, after so many years, the thought of waiting another minute was unbearable. Nino scrolled through his contacts and placed the call.

“Nino?” Despite the lateness of the hour, Fu didn’t sound tired. “Are you and Adrien back home?”

“Yeah,” Nino said. “We just got back.”

“I understand congratulations are in order,” Fu said. “You must be-“

“I’m in,” Nino interrupted quickly.

There was a pause. “Pardon?”

“For being the Guardian,” Nino said. “I’m in.”

“Ah.” Fu didn’t sound a bit surprised. “You’re certain?”

“Completely,” Nino said, looking down at Amira.

“Excellent. You’ve had more than enough training, so I see no reason not to pass the Miraculous on as soon as possible. Tomorrow?”

“Perfect,” Nino said.

“I’ll see you then.”

Nino put his phone away and continued to look down at his daughter. Her bottle finished, she yawned and closed her eyes, curling into Nino. He put the bottle aside and brushed his fingers against one of her tiny curls. “Hey,” he whispered to her. “I wish I could promise you everything. With me and Adrien as your dads, though, things might be a little crazy every now and then.” Nino leaned down and pressed his lips to Amira’s forehead. “No matter what, though, I promise I’ll always be around. Your whole life, I’m gonna be around, doing everything I can to keep you safe and happy.”


End file.
